His Unconditional Love!

Victoria Boyson:

The Power of Love

Recently, as many of you know, my laptop was destroyed - run over by a semi. People have been curious about how it happened, but the question in my head wasn't how, but why? Why did it happen? The Lord warned me months before that there was going to be an attack against my laptop. I know, it sounds odd, but that is the truth. So, I was very careful to backup and copy everything of any importance.

However, the question "why" still harassed me for weeks after it happened and heavy sadness settled on me. I sought the Lord about it and I thought about what was on the computer that would have been lost due to the incident; what wasn't copied elsewhere? I have several books I'm writing on there and work I've done for others, but all of that was copied on to other computers. Then it dawned on me—the only thing that was not backed up was what I'd recently written about the power of love.

It was about the power love possesses to destroy the works of darkness. Wow! It was about God's heart working through people to bring the lost to Him and liberate them from spiritual darkness, bringing them into a relationship with Jesus Christ. It was about the generations loving and appreciating one another.

The Enemy's After Our Love

The Lord impressed my spirit then that the enemy was after our love! I began to weep at the thought of it. By the enemy's pursuit of it, it showed how terrified he is of it. The Lord reminded me of the last few years in my own life and the enemy's constant pursuit to destroy my ability to love.

"And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold" (Matthew 24:10-12 NLT).

The attack on our love has increased and our ability to love has been assaulted. With many in the Body of Christ, it's been a vicious battle, wrestling with issues of forgiveness and justice. But His Word says, "We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against the mighty powers in this dark world, and against the evil spirits in heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12 NLT). The enemy uses people to fight against us, so it's not always easy to remember who our real enemy is.

Honestly, I can't say that I see an end to this battle for our love coming anytime soon—the enemy's not going to quit—he's got too much to lose to give up. But we can become wise to his plans and schemes against us and learn from every battle we encounter. And most of all, we need to remind ourselves daily of the power of God's love.

Unconditional Love

God's love is limitless—hotter than fire and stronger than anything. Look at the power in these words: "I am convinced that nothing will ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of Hell can separate us from the God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39 NLT).

How deep is the Father's love for us? His unfailing love is as high as the heavens and reaches to the sky (see Psalm 57:10). His love is unconditional, meaning it has no conditions. God does not put stipulations on His love. His love is real, limitless, and changeless. It is the only love we do not have to earn in some way.

His love is limitless, but ours isn't—His love is unconditional, but our earthly love is full of conditions. We cannot love like this apart from God. And when we (fallen yet, redeemed) allow His love to flow through us, then Hell trembles. His Word in Luke 6:28 NLT says, "Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you." But our love debates this concept, it's only by His love can we truly love.

Relentless Pursuit

Years ago, I had an encounter that revealed the relentless power of God's love, which showed me God's love physically in action.

I was ministering at a women's conference in the south and we were nearing the end of a weekend of meetings. The message had been delivered, the altar call had been given and many women had been ministered to. God had done a great work in everyone that had come forward. There were a few women remaining at the altars still, but I was ready to end the meeting. I stood ready to bring it to a close when God stopped me. "We're not done yet," He said.

Knowing He didn't want the meeting to end, I continued to call people to come forward. I knew there was someone else the Lord wanted to minister to, but no one came forward. I then felt the Lord tug at my heart. He wanted me to sing the song Jesus Loves Me. So, I asked the pianist to play and I sang to them. And the power of God's love coated the place—it was beautiful. I would've been satisfied with that, but God knew what He was after.

Unbeknownst to me, God had been working on the heart of a woman in the back of the church all during the meeting. I didn't know it, but she'd left and come back several times. Still, she did not respond to my invitation to come for prayer. That is, not until I sang that simple song. As I finished singing, she literally RAN to the altar. Before I knew what was happening, she flew into my arms; I barely had time to catch her.

She no sooner got to me than the power of God hit her and she collapsed into my arms. We somehow got her to the floor and continued to pray for her. As she lay in my lap, a demon spirit began to manifest in her. It was pretty up close and personal for me, so I kinda freaked a little. My first thought was, "Somebody should do something!" Then I realized, I was the "somebody." Still fairly new in this type of ministry, I realized they were all expecting me to handle the situation. All eyes were on me—they were all watching what I would do next...gulp.

My eyes turned toward this dear woman laying unconscious in my lap, and the love the Lord had for her burned in my heart. That love turned into intense anger toward the demonic spirit that tormented her. Without even realizing it, I started speaking to that demon in a voice so full of power and authority it didn't even seem like my own voice. I commanded that demon to let her go and it did. She was free!

We all began to pray for her, rejoicing in everything we saw God do for her, and God filled her that day with His spirit, restoring her soul with His love. She was exhausted but delivered, and we rejoiced with her. She'd been sought out by God's love, captivated by His love, freed by His love and restored by His love.

I want you to understand something; I did not even see her in the back of the church. I didn't pursue her for Christ's sake. It was God's intense love for His daughter that kept pursuing her again and again, and not wanting to close the meeting because of His love for her—His pursuit of her. It makes me cry to think of His love for her and how passionately He pursued her. She wanted so badly to leave that place, but HE kept bringing her back again and again.

I went back to that congregation a year later and met up with her again. I honestly didn't even recognize her—she was so changed by the power of God's love. She was a different person. The woman who hugged me now was not the same person I'd met a year earlier. Her whole family had been changed by what they'd seen God do for her, all by the power of His love.

So, why are we surprised that our love is under attack? It's the most powerful weapon we possess, and we need to fight to protect it at all cost.

When Christ told us to bless those who curse us, it was for our sake, it was to protect our hearts from cold love.

The stronger our ability to forgive and even bless those who've been a curse to us, the stronger our love will be—the greater the impact God will have through us.

When you want to hate but love instead through God's power, you unlock the richness of Heaven. You unleash God's power on yourself and those around you!

If you want revival,

if you want revolution,

if you want God...then love!

P.S. For those of you who were curious about my laptop—God is good and He's provided me with a new one through the love and generosity of a wonderful couple. May the Lord richly bless them.

Victoria Boyson

Speaking Life Ministries

Email: victoria@boyson.org

Website: www.boyson.org

God-Moving Prayers

PRAYING PRAYERS THAT MOVE GOD

BY MARY HUDSON

"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet..." Isaiah 58:1.

The Cry is a prayer that goes beyond words. When that cry comes out of your mouth, it is as if your spirit itself is touching the heart of God. This is not a silent prayer, it the passionate voice of a desperate intercessor making his case before an Almighty God, no matter what it costs. It is the weapon of the few who stand in the gap in a spiritual battle. It makes the difference between winning and losing.

"You number and record my wanderings: put my tears into your bottle - are they not in Your book?" Psalm 56:8 AMP.

When we cry, God records our every tear. He knows when your heart is pouring out before Him. Collecting tears in a bottle was a custom in the ancient Middle East . An offering of tears was often left in the tomb or on the grave of a departed loved one. In Persian (ancient Iraq/Iran) funerals, the priest would collect the mourners' tears onto cotton and squeeze them into a special bottle --- they were that precious.

The Lord describes Himself as the Breaker, the Messiah, the Lord of the Breakthrough, in Micah 2:13 (AMP); however He needs your heart, your passion, and your voice as a point of contact, the leverage to bring breakthrough. He wants you to have the expectation of a miracle with fervency in your prayers.

There are many biblical examples showing breakthrough from passionate prayer:

1. A cry for deliverance. We can look to David as our example, when he cried out from his heart before God. The Lord heard him. His voice made entry before the Lord's throne. At the time, King David was surrounded by his enemies, but he did not let the circumstances discourage him: "Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer" (Psalm 6:6-9 KJV).  

2. A cry of repentance. John the Baptist illustrated that. "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah" (John 1:23 ). John had a cry from his spirit for the lost come to salvation. He was a rough man, living on locusts and wild honey and dressed in camels' hair. However, with one heartfelt declaration, he gave the world the opportunity to depart from the wilderness of sin into repentance and fruitfulness.

3. A cry for fruitfulness. Consider the sisters Rachel and Leah. Rachel was barren while Leah conceived easily. There was a cry in Rachel's heart for a child of her own. She pled with her husband Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die." (Gen 30.1). The Lord gave her Jacob and Benjamin.

The prophet Samuel's mother Hannah was another case of barrenness who would not be denied. She poured out her heart before God. "She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. She rose up in spite of years of ridicule from the other women around her and cried in anguish to the Lord. Her cry brought an answer. Her son Samuel was one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament.

The Lord heard my cry for fruitfulness, too. After my husband and I were married for two years, it did not look like we were going to have children. The Lord moved me to cry out to Him for a miracle. He responded, and within 3 weeks I found I was pregnant with our first child. Keith and I went on to have three children in 6 years. The pregnancies were truly miraculous.

Points to remember:

• God needs our cry to take action.
  
• God responds to our cries by granting deliverance, salvation, and fruitfulness.
  

Keith and Mary Hudson are the co-founders of Keith Hudson Ministries based inSouthern California. Mary directs Arise! meetings for women under the wing of Keith Hudson Ministries. They have been married for over 28 years, and are the parents of three children. You can learn more by visiting their website,www.keithhudson.org.

The Key

THE KEY TO BREAKTHROUGH

BY JONATHAN WELTON

Jesus said that "from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks (Mt 12:34)." As I have been listening to believers all over the country, I have heard hearts overflowing with words of fear, stress, and anxiety. Many believers have been hit hard by the change in the American economy. I have been asking the Lord about it and He has been emphasizing one word to me, "thanksgiving." Not the holiday, but the attitude of the heart.

Much of the talk from believers contradicts our name. We are called "believers," not "complainers". Complaining fills the void of prayer. We do not complain about what we are praying about. For example, if I am praying for my spouse for an hour a day, when I step out of my prayer closet I am not going to begin to complain about my spouse. If you are complaining about something, chances are good that you are not praying about it.

I saw a vision of a Christian being squeezed by a vise and the Lord said, "When life squeezes us like a grape, Jesus should pour out of us because we are meant to abide in Him." God is calling us to release thanksgiving when we are squeezed!

Complaining is the exact opposite of thanksgiving. The Bible tells us to "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thess 5:18). Notice that it says, "in" not "for" all circumstances. We are not to give thanks "for" all circumstances because not everything is from God. If you are sick, don't give thanks for your sickness, because it is not from God, but thanksgiving in (or in spite of) your sickness. In Ephesians 5:20, God does instruct us to give thanks "for" all things, but the greek word Huper is the root of the word "for" in this passage, which means "above," "beyond" or "over." We are meant to give thanks above, beyond, and over our circumstances.

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, (John 11:41) or multiplied the loaves (John 6:11), He didn't give thanks for His situation, He gave thanks in His situation. You don't have to be thankful for your situation, but you do need to be thankful in it. This will release the anointing of God to overcome your situation.

The prophet Daniel was known for giving thanks to the Lord three times a day (Daniel 6:10). What we learn from his life is that when you operate in thanksgiving, the lions of the enemy don't have the right to chomp on you. Or who can forget Jonah? When he complained about his assignment to prophesy over Nineveh and ran from God, he was swallowed by a giant fish. If you look at what Jonah did inside of the fish, it says in Jonah 2:9 that he sang a song of thanksgiving. In the very next verse, the fish spit Jonah out on the dry land. The principle is this: if complaining got you into the situation, thanksgiving is the key to get you out.

We need to be a people of prayer so that when life squeezes us, a heart of thanksgiving will pour out. According to James 4:2, "we have not, because we ask not." If we need the Lord to move in our life, it is time to return to a heart of prayer with thanksgiving.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:6-7).

If you desire to see spiritual breakthrough in your family, finances, physical body, relationships, or any other area, it is time to begin applying thanksgiving in your prayers. Thanksgiving is a powerful force in the spirit realm, and it is a season where God is emphasizing the release of this force in the earth.

 

A fifth generation believer, Jonathan Welton is propelled by a powerful Christian heritage. Exhibiting extraordinary wisdom and meekness as a teacher, he leads even hesitant individuals to discover fresh experiences of Kingdom realities. With a dual calling of teacher and seer, Jonathan raises the standard for walking in wisdom, character, and power. He is the author of School of the Seers. For more information, you can visit his website, www.JonWelton.com.

Lost and Found

Bill Yount:

"Your Unsaved Children, City and Nation Are Now Waiting in the 'LOST AND FOUND' Department... Come and Get Them!"

2 Peter 3:9 ...(God) is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Isaiah 40:9 Say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"

I remember when I was a little boy and my mother would take me shopping with her. Time and again, I would keep getting lost from her in big department stores. Many times someone in the store would find me and take me to the customer service desk, where the "lost and found" department was, and they would call out over the intercom that they have found a little, lost boy. My mother quickly would come and get me. After a while she knew where she could find me if I got lost.

I sense in the Spirit that many have thought that their children, city and nation are surely lost with no hope. Your children, city, and nation may be lost, but they are now waiting to be found. God is calling out to us to come and reach out to embrace them and receive them, because they belong to Him and it's time for all who are lost to be found by us. And if we don't, we will lose them through utter neglect.

The ball is in our court now. Our response is vital. We must reach out now as they are beginning to call on us for help in many ways. It may appear at first that they are wanting us to come their way to help their personal agendas and selfish goals, but as we are stretched in practical and creative ways to reach out beyond our comfort zone, the common ground of practical helping will lead to supernatural happenings throughout our nation and in the lives of many people!

Where Did We Ever Get the Notion that People Shouldn't Like Us?

Luke 2:52 And Jesus grew...in favor with God and men.

Acts 17:6 ...These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.

Somehow we have gotten the notion that the world shouldn't like us. And if we think that way, they won't! But people liked Jesus! It was the religious people of His day that hated Him. The religious rulers were intensely jealous of Jesus' popularity. So many multitudes followed Him that they feared that their whole nation might turn to Him!

Jesus said, "If I be lifted up...I will draw all men unto Me." We should be growing in favor with God and with man. People should like us! Of course we don't partake of the sin the lost do, but we love them in spite of their sin.

Has anyone reading this message lived a perfect life this past week, or did you fall short of the glory of God? Be encouraged, you are not alone. I don't know of any saint who doesn't struggle against sin. If they say they don't, they are struggling with lying or have given up the fight.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I believe our struggle against sin as Christians helps us to relate to and to have mercy on the lost.

How far did Jesus allow the lost to stretch Him into their world, to touch them? Jesus was constantly blowing the minds of His disciples as He kept stretching them in showing love to people. I believe the disciples often thought that Jesus was going too far in reaching out to the lost. They were right. In every case He was found guilty of love in the first degree, in loving people and reaching out "too far"! Even when crucified, His arms were nailed wide open!

"Don't Do that 'Wine' Thing!"

1. The wedding feast at Cana (John 2:1). Looking back, I wonder how many of us may have wanted to advise Jesus, "No, not this! Don't do that wine thing! Don't change that water into wine! Down through generations people will wonder and argue if that stuff was real wine or partially fermented grape juice, or just water that looked and tasted like wine! This could even mess them up taking communion! Jesus, please don't do it!"

I can picture Jesus, "Fill the water pots up with water and let's see what the Father has in mind. Let's see how far He wants to go with this celebration. Yep, it sure looks like it's the real stuff, and they are really having a great time!" I personally believe the Father was giving them a taste of the best wine on earth as a foretaste of a still better wine coming soon with the Holy Spirit, about to be poured out on the day of Pentecost:

Acts 2:15 For these are not drunken as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

Ephesians 5:18 Be not drunk with wine...but be filled with the Spirit!

Yes, He was found guilty of love in the first degree of going too far from the very first miracle!

2. The woman who was a sinner was washing Jesus' feet with her tears and drying them with the hairs of her head (Luke 7:37-39).

Can you picture the Pharisee who invited Jesus to dinner thinking within himself: "This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches him; for she is a sinner" (Luke 7:39). Jesus says to him, "Hey, Simon, you know what? You didn't wash My feet or kiss Me. You have never done to Me what this woman is doing. To whom much is forgiven the same loveth much!" (Luke 7:44, paraphrased). Again, Jesus was guilty of going "too far" to reach the lost.

Our Unsaved Children, City and Nation will Bring Out the Best in Us!

A religious Spirit will accuse us and try to convince us that "that doesn't look holy, and what will people think and say if you reach out that far to the lost?" Of course, we must pray for discernment, but when you hear the cries of people dying and going to hell, you reach into the fire if need be. You cross the line into their habitations to be the life-line in their lives. Jude 1:22-23 says, "And of some having compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."

We must remember that our main goal is to become a "friend" to the lost. Jesus was a friend to sinners. He became their friend in order that they could be found! How many sinner friends do you hang out with?

Our sphere of influence in the world will depend on how far Jesus can stretch through us to reach the lost.

Jesus Always Shakes the Economy on Earth When He Wants to Bring in a Great Harvest!

Jesus calls His disciples to leave the security of their fishing business, shaking their economy: "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men!" Jesus shakes their economy to stretch their faith in Him to supply their every need. Jesus Himself had nowhere to lay His head: "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has no place to lay His head" (Luke 9:58), yet He lacked nothing in His life on earth. He told His disciples to take nothing for their journey. And the disciples lacked nothing either! Why? Because they were about the Father's business of winning the lost.

When you see the economy being shaken, know that you are about to be stretched in order to meet the lack in people's lives.

Jesus reveals Himself through lack more than He does through abundance! Jesus uses a little boy's bag lunch to cater a fish fry for five thousand people! One disciple thought, "Five loaves and two fishes, what is that among so many?" The five thousand hungry men and women and children were being used to stretch the disciple's thoughts on limitations...with twelve baskets leftover!

As our city and nation continues to take a pounding by the economy, know that this is a set-up for us to be stretched by their needs for help.

The Coming Storms of Darkness Will Cause People to Pull the "Living" Daylights Out of Us!

Jesus allowed a raging storm at sea to pound on the disciples' ship to build their faith. Why? Because on the other side of the sea they were going to be confronted and stretched by a man who was possessed with a legion of demons. Their faith needed to go deeper in order to be stretched by this man to deliver him! But what made the disciples afraid at sea put Jesus to sleep!

Even the storm didn't wake Jesus up, the disciples did! Jesus was showing them, by His example of resting in His Father's love for Him in the storm, and even falling asleep in the Father's presence...this is what gives you power over the enemy! His rest came from believing the Father's prophetic word to them: "We are going over to the other side!"

Even in the Natural, Resting Comes Before the Stretching!

Have you noticed that when you wake up from a good night's rest, that it is natural and refreshing to want to stretch your arms out wide as far as you can?

Resting in the Father's love for you will cause you to want to stretch out as far as you can to reach your unsaved children, city and nation. As you rest in His love for you, it dawns on you, "If God saved me, He can save anybody!"

Maybe you need a good nap, and then stretch out your arms as far as you can toward your unsaved child, city and nation. Maybe what they need is a good hug!

Romans 2:4 "The goodness of God leads (men) to repentance."

Bill Yount

Blowing the Shofar Ministries

Email: theshofarhasblown@juno.com 

Website: www.billyount.com

Watch and Pray!

James W. Goll:

"Restoring the Watch of the Lord: Shake the World with Prevailing Prayer!"

Intro and Health Update:

We continue to praise the Lord for my great health report on being cancer free. My blood count is now normal and we thank the Lord! You have played such a vital role in my healing and restoration process. I am so grateful for your love and support. Perhaps the Holy Spirit will move upon you to partner with us in the future. I will soon be launching a strategy called Restoring the Walls—EN's Nehemiah Project. So watch for details concerning this in coming weeks.

Recently in PrayerStorm, I had us pray in the gift of tongues. Instead of giving us a specific prayer target, we entered into the realm of the supernatural by praying in the Spirit. Now, I want us to practice "watching" in our prayers. Again, I am not giving us an agenda or a prayer list this week. I want you to practice watching with your worship and prayer, and then pray what you "see in the Spirit." To build on this concept, I am bringing you some of my early teachings.

Let the Fire Burn! And May the Fire of the Lord Be Restored on the Altars of our Hearts!

June, 1991

"I will restore the ancient tools of the Watch of the Lord that have been used and will be used again to change the expression of Christianity across the face of the earth."

This prophetic word came to me in the middle of the night on the Kansas plains. I had brought 30 people with me to that remote area for a prayer retreat at a country lodge. We were praying around the clock in prayer teams for "hour watches" or prayer periods, modeled after military sentry patterns. Our focus was not on fellowship or even a prayer list; we were there to seek God's face. As usual, I had chosen the 2:00-to-3:00 a.m. time slot because the Lord had been waking me up at that time virtually two or three times a week for more than a decade.

As I waited on the Lord, I suddenly saw a picture of an old farm implement, the kind of plow that used to be drawn by horses. When I asked the Lord what it was, the Holy Spirit said, "These are the ancient tools." When I asked what these were, the response was immediate: "The Watch of the Lord is the ancient tool." Now that phrase went deep inside of me and stuck.

As I continued to wait before the Lord in that quiet, far-removed place, I saw the tool again and the Lord said, "I will restore the ancient tool of the Watch of the Lord. It has been used and will be used again to change the expression of Christianity across the face of the earth."

I was already familiar with the concept of "watching in prayer" in the Old and the New Testaments (sorry to say, it is sorely missing from the life of the Church at large). This clear word of the Lord given under the starry skies of Kansas lit a fire under me that ultimately propelled me into the borderland of ancient Saxony, the ancient site of the Moravian prayer watch at Herrnhut that lasted over 100 years nonstop.

Few English-speaking people use the term, "Watch of the Lord," in our day. Books on prayer seldom discuss it. Yet the importance of the Watch of the Lord, or of watching in prayer, is very important to the plans and order of God. Jesus commanded us to "watch" with Him in several Gospel accounts, particularly in the time called "the last days."

Much has been taught about "the last days" by teachers in Evangelical and Charismatic circles. But exceptionally little has been taught about the Biblical response of God's people to the last days. I made a comparative study of the verbs Jesus used in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, where He described how we should respond when we see earthquakes, famines, wars and rumors of wars, and so on. Here is a summary of these responses:

See Matthew 24 (NIV):

"Watch out that no one deceives you" (verse 4).

"See to it that you are not alarmed" (verse 6).

"Stand firm to the end" (verse 13).

"Keep watch" (verse 42).

See Mark 13:

"Watch out that no one deceives you" (verse 5).

"Do not be alarmed" (verse 7).

"Be on your guard" (verse 9).

"Do not worry" (verse 11).

"Stand firm" (verse 13).

"Be on your guard" (verse 23).

"Be on guard! Be alert!" (verse 33).

"Keep watch" (verse 35).

"Watch!" (verse 37).

See Luke 21:

"Watch out that you are not deceived" (verse 8).

"Do not be frightened" (verse 9).

"Stand firm" (verse 19).

"Stand up and lift up your heads" (verse 28).

"Be careful" (verse 34).

"Be always on the watch, and pray" (verse 36).

All of these statements can be summarized in three main phrases: "Do not be afraid" (mentioned four times), "Stand firm" (mentioned four times), and "Watch." Jesus used this key word, "watch," 11 times—almost three times more than any other admonition! Once again, you can hear His voice saying to the Church, "The key I give you is 'watch.'" In Matthew 18:19-20, He gave us the keys of the Kingdom, and they have to do with prayer:

Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in Heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.

Jesus wants groups of two or three people to gather in His name and ask in symphony or harmony. (The Greek word translated "agree" is sumphoneo, or "harmonious.") This is the heart of the "watch of the Lord." I know it's profound, but you don't need a doctorate in theology or linguistics to understand it.

The Greek word for "watch" in these verses is gregoreuo, and it means "to be vigilant, wake, to be watchful." A watchman on the wall does many things. He carefully watches what is happening and alerts the community when good ambassadors approach the city. The guardsman then will open the gates and lower the bridge so the ambassadors may enter. A watchman also warns the city far in advance when an enemy approaches. He sounds an alarm to awaken the people because he knows "to forewarn them is to alert and arm them." Then they quickly can rally to take their stand on the wall against the enemy before he wrongfully tries to enter into the city.

Putting Out the Welcome Mat

We are to watch for the good things and good messengers God sends to His people. We are to watch for the gifted ones and the coming of the Lord's Presence. We are to alert the people to roll out the welcome mat, saying, "Come, come, come, come! Angels of healing, you are welcome here. Spirit of the Lord, You are welcome here. Gifts of the Spirit, you are welcome here. Spirit of conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment, come; you are welcome here. Come, come, come, come!" We are to roll out the red carpet to the name and the Blood of Jesus, and say, "Come!"

We are to watch to see what the Lord is saying and doing. And we are to look at what the enemy's plans could be. Paul warned us not to be ignorant concerning the devil's schemes (see 2 Corinthians 2:11). God wants to tip us off beforehand to cut off, postpone, delay, or even entirely dismantle the works of the enemy and frustrate his plans for evil.

But as watchers on the wall of the Lord, we go far beyond any dictionary definition. God wants us to look into the mirror of His great Word and discern those things that He has said that He wants to do. Then we are to remind Him of those things that He wants to do and is, at the same time, waiting for us to ask Him to do. Why? Because He has given us that little key called the "prayer of agreement."

Little keys unlock big doors. The Moravians discovered a key of power in Leviticus 6:13, where the Lord says, "Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out." They believed the New Covenant fire on the altar was prayer, and they acted on God's challenge. The Moravians actually managed to change the world with that little key and so can we in our day.

Through other extreme God encounters, I became convinced that the Lord was releasing grace for the house of prayer for all nations, and for the Watch of the Lord to be released first in 120 cities across the earth, and from there to 3,000 cities according to the pattern of Pentecost as found in Acts, the second chapter. Yes, the ancient tool of the Watch of the Lord has been released anew on the earth by the winds of God.

Dear God, I want to be vigilant and awake in this hour. Wake me up if You have to! I want to be a practical part of the watch of the Lord for my city. Equip me and use me as one of Your Last Day Watchers. Place me in Your global prayer army and send mentors my way so I can be effective in this historic move of God! Bless You, Lord, for including me in Your growing prayer army! Praise the Lord!

The Day of the Watch Has Come

Since God ignited my burden for the Watch of the Lord at Herrnhut, the site of the great Moravian prayer watch, it is no accident that He has sent me to draw from their deep pool of wisdom again and again along my journey. Indeed, the Day of the Watch has come.

God is restoring the fire of the Holy Spirit to His people so we will restore the fire of prayer on His altar of incense and release the glory of God on the earth! Look at the striking parallels between the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on people of prayer in Jerusalem, and on another people of prayer 17 centuries later in Herrnhut, Saxony!

The same God who engineered this miracle in Jerusalem and in Herrnhut in the 1700s appears determined to do the same across the earth before the dawn of the millennium! God is not interested in "corporate assent" to the principle of revival—He demands personal surrender, commitment, and sold-out service in prayer and public witness to His glory!

When the people of God dare to surrender to the Holy Spirit of God and then live lives of continuous consecrated prayer, they will display an infectious joy that will draw the lost to them again and again in divine appointments of destiny.

God's Intention

Matthew Henry wrote, "When God intends great mercy for His people, the first thing He does is to set them a-praying." God intends to cover the earth with His glory and with a flood of mercy and grace. But first God must wake His sleeping giant, the Church. It is time for you and I to shake the world for Christ from our places of prevailing prayer! We can no longer afford to hear the urgent word of the Lord and walk away passively. The call is the same regardless of what title or flavor adorns the sign over the door of our place of worship.

God is calling His watchmen—every Blood-washed saint and redeemed king and priest—in groups of twos or threes to come together on the wall. He is calling forth the ancient tools to bring salvation to our generation. Do you believe dead men's bones can live again?

I believe dead men's bones will live again. I believe that the same Spirit who kept the promises of God for generations in the past is waiting for us to enter into the Holy of Holies for our time and our generation! There is only one path for you to take if you have received and believed this message: You need to be possessed. God wants you to be possessed with His Spirit in the same way Gideon was! The Amplified Bible says:

But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with Himself and took possession of him, and he blew a trumpet, and (the clan of) Abiezer was gathered to him.—Judges 6:34 AMP

Nehemiah's Tools

When Nehemiah the prophet risked all to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem in occupied territory filled with violent enemies, the first thing he did was to establish watchmen on the walls. In fact, everyone who worked on the wall was both workman and watchman, builder and soldier. They would work with a trowel in one hand and a spear in the other. God is quickly setting things into place to build His Church in a quick work. Again, this building project takes place in temporarily-occupied territory surrounded by violent and desperate enemies. The first thing God is setting in place is "the Watch of the Lord."

What are the rewards for these labors? If you could ask the Moravians this question, they would instantly answer: "To win for the Lamb that was slain the reward of His sufferings." The prayers of the "possessed" are more powerful than any of us know. A German historian named Dr. Warneck wrote in his book, Protestant Missions, "This small Church [the Moravians] in twenty years called into being more missions than the whole Evangelical Church has done in two centuries."

The work of the Holy Spirit was so complete and deep in the people at Herrnhut that they literally began to live out in microcosm the plan of God for His spotless Bride when He returns! Listen to the words John Wesley wrote after visiting Herrnhut in August of 1738, as recorded by Moravian historian Rev. John Greenfield:

"'God has given me at length,' he wrote to his brother Samuel, 'the desire of my heart. I am with a Church whose conversation is in Heaven; in whom is the mind that was in Christ, and who so walk as He walked.' In his journal he wrote: 'I would gladly have spent my life here; but my Master called me to labour in another part of His vineyard. O when shall this Christianity cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea?'"

On a Worldwide Scale

God fully intends to do on a worldwide scale what He did more than 200 years ago among a divided group of Believers from diverse backgrounds. He is out to raise up a Church, a nation of kings and priests, whose determination is to know nothing among men save Jesus Christ and Him crucified, whose theology has become Christology, and whose creed was in one word, the "Cross."

Are you willing to be "possessed for prayer"? Will you yield yourself as a living sacrifice this very day so that God can clothe you with Himself and conduct warfare for souls? Little keys open big doors. What goes up must come down!

The key to fulfillment and fruitfulness in your life is found in one word of eternal significance: "Yes." Your commission is clear: As a king and priest cleansed by the Blood of Jesus, your lifelong calling is to offer the fire and incense of prayer, praise, worship, and intercession to the Most High God and to intercede on behalf of this lost and dying generation.

Allow the Spirit of Pentecost to fall on you again in all of His fire and glory. Find those of like mind who also have discovered the secrets and power of God's altar of prayer. Join with one or two others to harmonize your requests to God as you restore the Watch of the Lord in your area. Work with your pastor or church members to raise up a "house of prayer for all nations" that truly fulfills the desire of God.

Pray for the harvest, for workers of the harvest. Seek the face of Him who bared His right Arm in Christ Jesus and redeemed you from the kingdom of darkness. Then, do anything and everything that He tells you with all of your heart. The Moravians discovered the secret place of power called prayer. They also lived out another secret of effective Christian living—that all men and women are ministers of the Gospel of Jesus and stewards of a sacred hope that must be trumpeted to hurting people at every occasion. It is time to mount the Watch of the Lord. It is time to light the watch fires and restore the lost art of intercession, the ancient tool of the Lord, to the Church of the Lord. Let it begin!

A Prayer of Consecration

Here I am, Lord. Possess me with Your Holy Life. Teach me to release the highest weapon of spiritual warfare—the brilliance of Your great Presence. Let the fire of Your hot love burn on the altar of my heart. Let there be fire on my altar and may it never go out. Count me in. Sign me up as a watchman on Your wall. Restore the lost art of intercession. Restore the power and the passion of the watch of the Lord. Use me in Your End Time Army and set me as an intercessor for Christ's namesake. Amen.

Now Just Do It! Amen and Amen!

James W. Goll

Encounters Network • PrayerStorm • Compassion Acts

Email: info@encountersnetwork.com

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